As Singaporeans travel more widely to seek out authentic experiences, stepping into new and unfamiliar territory without local payment access and sufficient data often leads to missed opportunities. Ahead of the year-end peak travel season, Wise is expanding its account capabilities to tackle two of international travel’s biggest logistical pain points: payments and connectivity.
Wise customers in Singapore are among the first globally to access an all-in-one setup directly within the Wise app – pairing a global cross-border QR scanner with customisable eSIM plans. This makes Wise the first app to combine both for travellers, delivering immediate relief for the 40% of global travellers who have missed out on local experiences due to payment barriers.
A new Wise-commissioned YouGov survey of 14,000 travellers across ten countries reveals that 61% have hit payment hurdles while abroad.
Among Singapore adults who have travelled internationally in the last 12 months, 87% faced payment hurdles while travelling, with the top challenge being accessing and setting up local QR codes and e-wallets abroad, and physical cash hassles like carrying wads of cash or finding reliable local exchanges and ATMs. This meant that 51% of travellers have had to miss out on local travel experiences like street food vendors or independent artisan shops.
International cards work at major hotels and airport duty-free shops, but local street-level merchants in many countries operate completely on domestic QR networks. Because these systems were built for locals, foreign travellers have historically been locked out – forced to track down physical cash at ATMs, download single-use local e-wallets, or risk getting stranded when local apps require a local bank account to register. Wise has broken down this barrier by supporting QR payments in 50+ destinations globally, all from a single app.
· Pay like a local from Singapore to Budapest: Wise customers in Singapore can already scan PayNow QR at home and Wise is now bringing that same local convenience abroad. Wise’s direct connections with local payment schemes such as DuitNow (Malaysia), QR Ph (Philippines), Swiss QR-bill (Switzerland) and Qvik (Hungary) means that for the first time, all of these local payment schemes are now available through the Wise app.
· Unlocking cashless payment in the Chinese mainland and beyond: Through a strategic partnership with the Alipay+, Ant International’s unified wallet gateway, Wise has simplified payments for travellers visiting Asia. In the Chinese mainland, where cash and foreign card payments are not commonly accepted, eligible Wise travellers can scan the QR and pay at millions of local Alipay+ enabled merchants directly through the Wise app without needing a Chinese bank card, local mobile number, or separate app setup required. Wise users also benefit from making safe and seamless payments with Alipay+, which currently covers 50+ destinations globally including Hong Kong, Nepal, Korea, Sri Lanka and Cambodia, Argentina and Mexico.*[1]
Alongside extensive QR support, Wise’s new customisable eSIM plan gives travellers a complete, hassle-free solution for both payments and data in one place.
Between estimating data needs, reinstalling new profiles for every new trip, and overpaying for fixed packages, staying connected abroad can be unnecessarily complex. The Wise eSIM introduces a highly flexible model to historically rigid and pre-packaged, single-use roaming plans. Alongside standard regional plans in more than 150 destinations, Wise is among the first in the world to launch customisable data plans to customers in the UK, EEA, US, Canada, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand, giving travellers the power to design the type of coverage:
· One-Time eSIM Installation: Customers only need to download the eSIM to their device once, rather than for each individual trip.
· Custom Controls: Travellers can buy the data directly from the Wise app, set the exact data allowance and the exact number of days they need, mapped perfectly to their itinerary.
· Data Estimation Guidelines: Intuitive, in-app guidelines to help customers avoid over or under-buying data before they depart.
· Unused Data Plan Refund: Wise will refund travellers for any unused data plans they purchase but do not use. Handy for those times when travel plans change.
· Instant Activation: The data will only be used when the eSIM is connected to the supported network at the destination.
Your All-in-One Smart Travel Companion
Beyond QR payments and eSIM plans, the Wise Account supports every part of the travel journey from one app. Wise customers can purchase pay-as-you-go airport lounge passes, locate nearby cash points with an in-app global ATM map, and effortlessly split multi-currency bills with family and friends, making it easier to navigate new countries and manage money together.
SK Saraogi, Asia Pacific CEO at Wise, said:
“Singaporeans are used to the ease of scanning a QR code to pay, but overseas, a different payment system in each destination can turn a simple purchase into a frustrating exercise. Travellers shouldn’t have to set up a new wallet or hunt for an ATM just to buy breakfast from a street food vendor. With Scan to Pay, we’re bringing these local QR networks together in the Wise app, helping customers pay like a local with an app they already use. Alongside our customisable eSIM, that means less time figuring out how to pay and stay connected, and more time enjoying the places they’ve come to discover.”
Wise QR payments and eSIM plans are available to eligible Wise Account customers from today.
